Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Ponyfic Roundup 14

It's time once again to delve into the often weird and sometimes wonderful world of My Little Pony fanfiction. My top choice this week is a sequel, and won't be a surprise to anyone who knows how much I enjoyed the first story in its series. Otherwise, there's a real mish-mash. One day I'll find another 9/10 (or above!) story. One day...

Pick of the ficsA Stitch in Timeby EakinTwilight, Other, Luna, Mane Six and OCsRomance/Comedy/Slice of Life; 71K words; June 2013; Teen
This is the sequel to the highly enjoyable Hard Reset (PF 8). Twilight is attempting to recover from the time-loop events in that story, but is shocked to learn that her actions have caused serious damage to space and time. Desperate to fix the problem, she calls in... Star Swirl. Yes, that Star Swirl. Generally written in a lighter vein than its predecessor, though there are a few exceptions, and those can be dark indeed. Would have rated 9 if not for a weird chapter involving Pinkie Pie which I didn't think worked too well. 8.5/10

Other stories

"Good Morning, Scootaloo."by ugugg93Scootaloo and LunaRomance/Slice of Life; 13K words; Jun 2014; Everyone
I'm not generally a fan of aging up foals so that they can be used in shipfics with a clear conscience, but this story mostly won me over. It begins somewhere just after "Sleepless in Ponyville", but covers a period of many years. The author isn't the best at OC names, and Rainbow Dash's future is, um, odd, but keep reading. The end is genuinely moving, and the best part of the story. 7/10

A Shining Winterby TooShyShyTwilight, Shining Armor and CadanceSlice of Life; 3K words; May 2014; Everyone
A simple, cute slice-of-life story giving us a glimpse into Twilight's fillyhood. She's introduced to the joys of the snowball fight by her brother, but gets a bit carried away. There's the occasional bump in the choice of language (even for a budding Royal Guard, "bedroom" would be better than "personal sleeping quarters") but it doesn't irritate too much. A nice ending, too. 7.5/10

Taking Back the Throneby JenkinsRevengeCelestia, Luna and OtherTragedy/Dark; 1K words; Aug 2013; Teen
That Other tag should actually be OC. This story, whose title is presumably a reference to the "Discord" song (though he doesn't appear) is a window into a dystopian future "after the princesses left". Unfortunately, it's far too short to give us much interesting detail. It also suffers from some tense mixing and a rather unsatisfying ending. 4/10

That Awkward Moment When...by HyzakuApplejackComedy; 1K words; Aug 2012; Teen
This story has a hugely positive balance (+398/-3) but I'm afraid I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. For one thing, the author uses capitals after speech (eg "Hello." He said.) which drives me up the pole. I'm not sure breakfast can be a "simple ordeal", either. It does throw in an amusing misunderstanding involving two other mares, and there's a brilliant line about Rarity, but it rushes the ending too much. An interesting concept not really fleshed out. 4.5/10